The real reason for the Trump Tariffs
For Trump, the suffering is a feature, not a bug. Here’s Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) to explain:
“Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive. No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
This week you will read many confused economists and political pundits who won’t understand how the tariffs make economic sense.
That’s because they don’t. They aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.
You see, our founders created a President with limited and checked powers. They specifically put the power of spending and taxation in the hands of the legislature.
Why? Because they watched how kings and despots used spending and taxes to control their subjects.
British kings used taxation to reward loyalty and punish dissent.
Our own revolution was spurred by the King’s use of heavy taxation of the colonies to punish our push for self governance.
The King’s message was simple: stop protesting and I’ll stop taxing.
Trump knows that he can weaken (and maybe destroy) democracy by using spending and taxation in the same way.
He is using access to government funds to bully universities, law firms and state and local governments into loyalty pledges.
Healthy democracies rely on an independent legal profession to maintain the rule of law, independent universities to guard objective truth and provide forums for dissent to authority, and independent state/local government to counterbalance a powerful federal government.
But the private sector also plays a role to protect democracy. Independent industry has power.
The tariffs are Trump’s tool to erode that independence. Now, one by one, every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.
What could Trump demand as part of a quiet loyalty pledge?
Public shows of support from executives for all his economic policy.
Contributions to his political efforts. Promises to police employees’ support for his political opposition.
The tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship. Why? So that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry.
As he adjusts or grants relief, it’s a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.
And once Trump has the lawyers, colleges and industry under his thumb, it becomes very hard for the opposition to have any viable space to maneuver.
Trump didn’t invent this strategy. It’s the playbook for democratically elected leaders who want to stay in power forever.”
“Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive. No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief.
This week you will read many confused economists and political pundits who won’t understand how the tariffs make economic sense.
That’s because they don’t. They aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.
You see, our founders created a President with limited and checked powers. They specifically put the power of spending and taxation in the hands of the legislature.
Why? Because they watched how kings and despots used spending and taxes to control their subjects.
British kings used taxation to reward loyalty and punish dissent.
Our own revolution was spurred by the King’s use of heavy taxation of the colonies to punish our push for self governance.
The King’s message was simple: stop protesting and I’ll stop taxing.
Trump knows that he can weaken (and maybe destroy) democracy by using spending and taxation in the same way.
He is using access to government funds to bully universities, law firms and state and local governments into loyalty pledges.
Healthy democracies rely on an independent legal profession to maintain the rule of law, independent universities to guard objective truth and provide forums for dissent to authority, and independent state/local government to counterbalance a powerful federal government.
But the private sector also plays a role to protect democracy. Independent industry has power.
The tariffs are Trump’s tool to erode that independence. Now, one by one, every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.
What could Trump demand as part of a quiet loyalty pledge?
Public shows of support from executives for all his economic policy.
Contributions to his political efforts. Promises to police employees’ support for his political opposition.
The tariffs are DESIGNED to create economic hardship. Why? So that Trump has a straight face rationale for releasing them, business by business or industry by industry.
As he adjusts or grants relief, it’s a win-win: the economy improves and dissent disappears.
And once Trump has the lawyers, colleges and industry under his thumb, it becomes very hard for the opposition to have any viable space to maneuver.
Trump didn’t invent this strategy. It’s the playbook for democratically elected leaders who want to stay in power forever.”
I’m not up on how social media goes viral, but I suggest:
#TarriffsAreTaxationWithoutRepresentation
and simpler
#TrumptheTaxer
The landing page for NYT and CNN are about the market plunge. Fox News has nothing.
@Arne,
Yeah, it’s easy to follow the market plunge. It’s covered in all the media I consume. The point of my post was to get past the facts of the plunge to explore the motivation for implementing what would superficially appear to be politically damaging actions. I find the argument credible.
I too believe Murphy has a point. I just don’t think it will reach MAGA followers.
@Arne,
You’re right; MAGA is plainly impervious to reason, logic and history. But it might help rally the rest of American voters.
It’s all about power with Trump. He doesn’t care about the economic damage done by tariffs; he likes the power over foreign leaders. He doesn’t care if a woman has an abortion; he likes having the power to tell a woman she cannot. He doesn’t care about government spending, services or debt; he likes having the power to indiscriminately fire public employees and take away their livelihood. The list goes on but you get the point.
Since the Trump tariffs are paid by the US folk, it is power over local businesses and people as well. It is beautiful opportunity for bribery.
TFG: “If you want me to grant a tariff exception to your little industry, you’ll have to come to Mar-A-Lago and make some personal concessions.”
If you wish to win, it is a group effort. You said what the issue is, here:
But the private sector also plays a role to protect democracy. Independent industry has power.
The tariffs are Trump’s tool to erode that independence. Now, one by one, every industry or company will need to pledge loyalty to Trump in order to get sanctions relief.
Business can resist as a group but not as individuals.